Older People in Natural Disasters: The Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995

Otani (human services, Osaka U., Japan) focuses on the plight of poor elderly citizens with no family connections who lost their homes during the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995 and were repeatedly relocated to different types of housing in the following years. The author traces the long-term path of recovery for these citizens by examining the development of communities of older people in temporary shelter built in Kobe after the earthquake, as well as other issues affecting the poorest and most vulnerable citizens. The book covers research involving media analysis and ethnographic research at several compounds. The book includes a listing of frequently used acronyms and abbreviations and a glossary of Japanese terms. Distributed in the US by ISBS. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Auhor Junko Otani, DDS, MPH, MS, PhD, is an associate professor in the Graduate School of Human Sciences at Osaka University. She obtained her MPH in international health and MS in population science from Harvard University and her PhD in social policy and administration from the London School of Economics. She has worked for the World Bank as a health specialist and for the World Health Organization as a medical officer, based mainly in China. She taught at Kyushu University from 2005 and moved to Osaka, her hometown, in 2008. Her areas of specialization include international health and population, social development studies, sociology, and research methodology.